


The Reivers

by DixieDale



Series: The Life and Times of One Peter Newkirk [55]
Category: Clan O'Donnell - Fandom, Hogan's Heroes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-16
Updated: 2018-06-16
Packaged: 2019-05-23 17:24:43
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,226
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14938643
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DixieDale/pseuds/DixieDale
Summary: The reivers had found the Welsh countryside to be easy pickings, easy and most profitable.  They'd moved seemingly at random, never in a predictable fashion, except in the violence of their attacks.  Their point man carefully scoped out each new target, looking for places worth their while, any possible defenses, any weaknesses.  Now he's made his way to look at the possibilities in this small village in the north of Wales.  And as for targets, well, there was the orphanage, since they dealt heavily in able-bodied children; there was the kirk, with the possibility of offerings and church vessels.  And there was that large farm on the outskirts of the village; the one run only by two women, one of them pregnant, the other elderly, along with two men, both having suffered considerable damage in the war, and one considered none too sharp in the first place.  Yes, this could be right up their alley, a rich haul with few capable of opposing them.





	The Reivers

Reports had been coming in, reivers working their way north and west. Peter had never experienced them; the scavengers and gangs of the East End of London had a lot in common in some ways, but those tended more to target lone individuals. Andrew thought they sounded like Quantrill's Raiders of the Civil War. Caeide doubted somewhat they were really 'reivers', not like the border reiver families of years past; the direction was wrong, for one thing, and the brutality was excessive. Looting, burning, many people killed, some only wounded but those who survived would never be the same, maimed and disfigured almost as if taunting those who found them. Stock driven off, or slaughtered in their fields and stalls to no purpose. And the children - some dead, more just gone, with no trail to follow, even if there was anyone left to follow. Some homesteads that had survived for many generations were now burnt out husks, abandoned, with none inclined to take them over for the miasma of evil that hung over the ruins. 

Well, whatever name given them, they were a threat, and the community had gathered to discuss what to do, how to cope. Even small towns and villages had been attacked, though mostly it was the remote homesteads, isolated cottages, and there was little that could be done to protect those, except for everyone to keep a watch for anyone, anything unusual, and warn the others. Kinch has spent his days here installing a communications system at Haven, among other things, and a link at the train station and another at the rectory. At least most in the village had the telephone now, though not all, and a system of warning bells from the church set up and communicated, and loud triangle clangers in some places, and now to be discussed: 'three shots, now, that could be the signal," old Denis Rhys grunted at the meeting, others disagreeing, "best make it two, that third shot, well, might be needing it elsewise!" 

Finally, Peter had the last word, not something he'd usually do in such a gathering, still not being accustomed to being part of such even, but their acceptance of him had grown over time, some because they thought he'd proven his worth, others because, as they said, "might as well, he ain't goin' away". Well, yes, after more than a dozen years, you'd think they'd have figured THAT out! "Two shots are fine, but when you think on it, ANY shots should be enough to make you sit up and take notice. Even if it's just someone out potting at coneys, better to be on guard than stay asleep and be taken unawares, and the reivers, they're using some guns too, you know. Your two shots could just part of a whole lot else." Of course, the reivers weren't just using guns, they weren't particular; knives, staffs, some sort of long-bladed thing no one had lived to describe, but talk of what the bodies had looked like, well, that had made the rounds. Fire, of course, they used that as a weapon of its own, and much else. 

Peter had insisted old Reverend Miles take up residence at Haven, something the family had been considering for some time. He was quite elderly now, his hound Ruth just passed this last summer; his last pony, a gift from Haven, pretty much just munching her way through her last years, him not even putting harness to her anymore. Haven folded itself around the old man, (AND the old pony of course), and it took no time til it was as if he'd always been there. Peter resolved there'd be no talk of his returning to that remote cottage, and in truth, their old friend was so content dandling the youngest children on his knee, telling them stories, acting as all round baby-tender at his own insistence, sharing the evening fire with them all, that he had no wish to leave. They'd become the family he'd never had, and the little girl who bore his name and her twin brother, well, they had all quickly become fast friends. 

The community around Haven was on guard, and while there were a couple of false alarms, one created by a hiking group out of Sullesbury, and right panicked both sides were by that little encounter, the other coming when Claire Thomas's old goat had got into the storage shed and started banging around all the old metal milking tins and her ringing that big alarm bell like to wake the dead, there was no reliable reports of the reivers.

Til the day they came.

Their scout, a mild-mannered agreeable sort, at least in appearance, had come through the village a week or so before, showing his wares, spices, laces, needles and pins, all the usual for the foot peddlers that wandered the Welsh countryside. In fact, before he'd joined the reivers as their point man, he'd been just that, a peddler, for many a year.

He'd always been an observant one, and one day thought to himself that he could put his time, knowledge, skills and talents to a more profitable occupation; he'd searched out the leader of the reivers, having some contacts among the less desirable, and put the proposition to him. It had worked out well for them both, neither having anything in the nature of scruples, and in the year they had been in partnership, the takings had increased tenfold. Taking the children, the whole and hearty ones anyway, to be sold to the brothels in Edinburgh and London, or onto the ships departing the harbors, now that had been his idea, and in exchange for arranging the deal and delivering the merchandise, he got his pick from each lot.

Now, he made his way through this area he'd visited a time or two before in years past. He remembered some, enough he fell under no suspicion, though he heard their talk and fears about the reivers. He particularly heard about the precautions they were taking, and he decided that any strike, well, it needed to be fast and rich, and then they needed to be gone, on to someplace where they weren't so well organized. He'd chatted with the people, laughed and patted the children on their heads, had a companionable drink in the small pub in the tiny village. He wandered, he sold a bit of goods, he mingled.

And he made note of what he saw, what he heard, thought a bit on what took his fancy, like that pretty dark haired boy he'd seen in the market, the one in a small group of children, a trio of red headed girls, a couple of thin faced brown haired boys, pleasing enough in appearance they all were, though he'd always thought redheads to be trouble, but the dark haired taller boy, well, he was especially toothsome, he was.

He watched and he listened, and found to his surprise he was lucky this time out; the richest prize was to be found in the same place as that tempting lad and those other children - a place these locals called 'Haven'. He didn't remember a big homestead being here the last time he'd come through, but things did change over the years. Well, if that didn't work, they had a small orphanage here, not many in it, but enough to maybe make it worth the while if this Haven didn't pan out. But he did fancy that dark haired lad with the blue-green eyes, he did.

He'd tried to get more information, but the locals just didn't seem to know much about Haven, which seemed odd considering its supposed size or value, or maybe they were just hesitant to talk about it for some reason. It came to his mind that perhaps they weren't on good terms, for some reason, the homestead and the village; well, that could prove to the advantage, maybe adding to the time before anyone found what the reivers had left behind.

One old man drowsing over in the corner, half in his cups if not more, had been willing to talk, though, after his mug had been refilled, had told him earnestly, "they keeps to themselves, Haven and those inside her. Just the family, or what they calls family, no hired help; they don't like others being about, seems. Biggest and finest you'll find round here, I'd think, but odd, having their own ways. Raise some fine horseflesh, they do, prettiest dappled chestnuts you'll ever set eyes on; some of the best sheep for wool come from there, too."

When pressed about the residents, the man frowned in thought, "two men, both back from the war, one came back in a right fair mess I've heard, the other more a boy than ought else, perhaps not so canny as some; two females, one my age or so, one young one. Though I heard the old besom went avisiting that young friend of hers that lived with them for awhile, but left to get married, so mayhap she's not up there right now. Passle of youngsters, like stairsteps they are, polite ones, though with spirit. Heard there's another expected any day now, if not already here; big as a house she was last time was seen, and she's not been seen this past month or so." He took another swig of his drink, yawned and laid his head down on the table and soon was snoring.

The scout sat back, nursing his drink, {"then that's the target, Haven. Doesn't sound like there's any to really put up much of a fight, plenty of plunder inside, I'd think, horses, and the young ones, well, they'll fetch a pretty penny. And that dark one, well, I'm sure he and I will get along just fine, maybe even one of those red-headed girls as a bonus,"} and he chuckled to himself, and slightly shuddered in anticipation. 

When he met with the leader of the reivers later, they were in agreement. With their group of well-armed men, numbering two dozen or so, Haven sounded just ripe for the picking, and out in the middle of nowhere, really, with none to see or interfere. They talked about taking only part of the group, but decided not to change what worked, and no sense to take chances; the men got paid base whether they went out or not, it building loyalty better that way, not like on just shares, where more going meant less in the pocket. And from it sounded, it might take all of them to carry away what was to be found there.

They talked about how they'd go about it, about what would be needed to take away their plunder, about the need to drop by the registry office in Conwdn first, to get a good look at the topography maps for the area. They considered having the scout head out that way, toward Haven, to have a look see, but decided that might put up the scare, and really no need, not with what they'd learned. They'd go in cautious, in force, like usual, for the training of the newer men if for no other reason, them recently added to their force in order to hit larger targets. Still, it'd be over right soon, no doubt, and they'd be off and gone. 

The scout hadn't bothered to talk to anyone else in the pub, and probably no one else would have talked to him about Haven anyway, Haven having long discouraged such activity. If they had, though, they might have given him a slightly better, perhaps more accurate view of the homestead, its long history, and those who lived there. He might have heard about that far hillside with all those shallow graves, all that was left of those who thought to count Haven too lightly. He might even have given a thought as to how a rich homestead could be managed with a group such as the old man had described, but he didn't. As it was, the scout and the leader were well content in their view that Haven was a ripe plum for their picking, just ideal for their purposes. Ah well . . .

*****

Caeide shifted in the wooden chair once again, trying to get more comfortable though knowing that wasn't likely, not til these two babes made their appearance, and that more than a month away, even knowing she always came early. Still, she wasn't complaining.

She looked around the kitchen table and smiled, "I can't believe you are all here! Peter never said a word!," casting a most oldfashioned look over at the tall man sitting at the head of the table, grinning from ear to ear.

"Just thought you might like someone to talk to besides us, with Maudie gone. Someone besides the youngsters, I mean," he said, not saying what she'd already guessed, that he and Andrew were getting more than a little nervous about the possibility of these babes coming along before Maude returned, though she was a good month away from when she expected that to happen, her usually setting about the task right at eight months, and Maudie to be back in only four days.

{"Of course, you couldn't tell that to look at me,"} as she looked down ruefully, {"big as Angie used to get, I am. I know it's twins again, but even so . . ."}. She went through this each time, she knew, and doubted she was really any larger than she'd been with the others, but by the seventh month, she was just always amazed when she looked in the mirror. She was just thankful it all seemed to melt away after they were born, her fitting back into her work clothes usually at six weeks.

Well, that was to the good, because at six weeks, she was more than ready to get back to her routine, fitting the new babes into it tidily as she always did. She had the baby slings, front and back, laid out and ready in the nursery, along with all the other necessities, and the cradles for the various rooms. They were well organized by now, taking it in their stride, this having two new babes to look after and love and tend. 

Her sister Meghada looked at her, grinning, "I wanted to take a good look at you, to remind myself what I have to look forward to!" She'd just figured out she'd be in the same boat in a few months, and thought it might be interesting for her lads to talk to Peter and Andrew; her two had gone through her having Randy, now almost twelve and M'Coury, not quite four years younger, but this was the first set of twins and she knew it would be a new experience for them, and well, they both did tend to fret, bless them. She was a bit nervous about it herself, she had to admit, and wouldn't mind the opportunity to talk to Caeide, for whom this would be the fourth set of twins. As Andrew had said once, slightly bewildered, "it just seems like what we DO!" to the laughter of everyone in that room.

Craig and Goniff were looking at Caeide with more than a little apprehension. {"I know 'Gaida said she's not likely for another month, and I bloody well 'ope she's right! I'd just as soon not be 'ere."}. Goniff had heard stories from the men about the time when Peter had had to use his 'magic fingers' to move Liam out of the way so his sister Morgana could find her way into the world, and Peter had admitted he wasn't sure his hands were up to that again, the arthritis having taken its toll. ('The Shadow of His Smile'). When Goniff had seen Peter and Andrew looking at HIS hands, narrowly appraising those long agile fingers, he'd started to get nervous. {"No, I'd as soon not be 'ere, thank you!"}.

Craig just grinned at him, {"I know it scares him, but he'd do just fine; he always does when the chips are down, no matter what's demanded of him, it's just the anticipation that bothers him."}. Of course, Craig wasn't interested in being co-opted for that duty either, he had to admit, and intended to be sure there was lots of qualified help around for a solid month, then taking another look at Caeide, maybe two months before Meghada's time.

Ciena spoke up from the end of the table, addressing what no one was saying out loud, "I'm sure Maudie will be back in plenty of time, guys. Just relax and enjoy the visit," and they laughed at how well she'd read them. 

Chief and Casino had come with Meghada and the guys to get some practice scaling the cliffs, that being needed for something they had in mind, not that they'd been forthcoming with the details, and they could be heard clattering down the steps now. Randy had come with them, the only one of the youngsters from the Cottage to do so, but he and Jamie were best friends even with the two years age difference, and he'd insisted Jamie would LIKE to have him visit; they knew that to be true, and no one argued with him. One more added to the resident crew, that wasn't too much to handle, though this wasn't the time for a gathering of ALL the youngsters, to be sure. Ian had dropped them off part of them yesterday morning, going back for the rest, wished them a good visit, and was gone again, not even stopping for coffee. 

Once the last two of the new arrivals had settled down at the long table, the conversation shifted to other things. Craig described their latest 'consulting job', with a few comments from the guys adding interest and sometimes hilarity. Ciena described her surprise encounter with the Big Brown Eagle, which none of them found particularly amusing, but certainly enlightening and discussion worthy; they liked to keep a handle on what General Robert Hogan was up to, it seemed wise to do so. When Craig asked for an update on the reivers, he was relieved to hear there'd been no new activity for the past month or so, and the latest well to the south of them.

"Do you think they just wore themselves out, or are they looking for fresh hunting grounds?" Chief asked.

A shrug from Peter, with a grim look, "no idea, mate. They 'it down Baia way, last we 'eard, a bloody mess that was too. Two mining 'omesteads, eight dead, two more as good as, four youngsters gone missing. Burnt both places to the ground, the stock, the working dogs, left dead in the fields. Thing is, they 'it one place, then they crop up somewhere else nowheres near, and no one with any idea who the bloody bastards ARE, where they're based, 'ow they pick their targets! We put in what alarms we could in the area, pulled Reverend Miles in 'ere; 'e was just too isolated out there at his cottage anyways, more like family than not 'e is, and we're glad to 'ave 'im." 

This hadn't been a surprise to them, of course; there was no way any of Haven would have let them visit without reminding them of the threat all of Wales was under right now, and they'd heard all about it from the letters that passed back and forth between the families. Of course, none of those from the Cottage were the timid, afraid of their own shadow types, and the consulting the guys did, well, it led them into danger now and again. Okay, maybe more than that, but they were good at what they did, and usually came home with no real damage. They figured they could protect Randy, and, well, he was eleven and Clan, and thus hardly helpless; he'd be headed to Practicums soon, after all, well on his way to being more man than child.

They talked late into the evening, then settled into their rooms. Ciena roomed with the girls, her giggling as much as they did into the wee hours; Randy was bunking in with Jamie and the other boys, Casino and Chief each had a room, Craig, Goniff and Meghada sharing another, this being one place there was no need of pretense, even the Reverend Miles not raising an eyebrow. Well, he wouldn't; he'd long accepted the way things were between Caeide, Peter and Andrew, and without misgivings or laying fault.

So it was, when the reivers arrived before first light, they found the situation a bit different than what they were expecting. First, they weren't expecting any of the household to be fully awake, perhaps not being used to the hours kept by a working farm of this size. The alarm was sounded on three fronts; Andrew had gone up to say good morning to Angie, (which he did on a daily basis, sometimes several times a day), before he gathered the eggs, when he spotted a group coming down the back path from the village. He shrunk back into the shadows and pulled out his radio, which none of Haven went without, especially since that time when he and Peter had come up short. ('And There Shall Be Riches')

Caeide had awakened with the babes pressing even more fervently against her lower back, and she'd been walking, pacing trying to relieve the ache; from the long window she saw them, shadows really, coming down from the cliffs, a sizeable group, maybe eight or ten.

Jamie and Louisa had gotten up early to show Randy the way the sun would shine through the Sun Arch and the way the different engraved runes lit up, one by one, through that first hour; they saw them on the trail up from the sea, light from the last glow of the moon glittering off the open blades in some of their hands. They also had a radio; they knew the rules, knew why they were in place. 

The alarm Caeide set off sounded almost simultaneously with the calls from the two radios, and the signal they sent caused the alarms to sound again, muted for now, not to be heard outside. A different signal would start in two minutes if not silenced; that one would penetrate to the outside buildings, and the final one, three minutes after that, well it would blast to the surrounding countryside. Peter was setting down the coffee pot and racing up the stairs as the alarms rang, Caiede calling to him at the same time, telling him what she could see. The visitors were up now, dressing, weapons ready."Where are the youngsters?" Peter snapped. Caeide had checked the board, dropped the security into place, effectively blocking windows and doors and all else from being accessed from the outside, and gone to check the bedrooms.

"Younger ones are all here; Jamie, Louisa and Randy are gone. One of the messsages are probably from them; other has to be from Andrew, he went up to see Angie."

She was back at the small communications center tucked into the office, flipping buttons, talking, all in the special doggerel they used within the family, that no outsider would be likely to make heads or tails of if they were listening, while trying to get into something more appropriate for dealing with scum than the loose gown she was wearing, realizing with frustration that nothing she'd be able to fit into would fit the bill. Well, she could fire a gun as easily in her robe as otherwise, if need be. 

The others were gathered behind them, Reverend Miles now there as well.

"Reverend, can you gather the youngsters, neverminding Randy, Jamie or Louisa, take the others into the safe room? You remember the way, the latches and all? Remember to lock them behind you," to receive a quick nod and the old man hurried from the room, intent on getting the four young ones to the most secure position in the house. In fact, it was halfway OUT of the house, with ready access to a tunnel up into the cliffside caves should worst come to worst. He prayed it wouldn't come to that, and thinking on the grim faces he'd just left, he was pretty sure it wouldn't. He was worried about the three older children; from what he'd heard, they were out there in the open; and Andrew, he hadn't been back in that room either. Well, there wasn't anything he could do about them, but he could attend to the job he'd been given, and he did so.

Andrew drew back into the entrance of the cave overlooking Haven; he'd made his way carefully, wanting to be down below with the others, but knowing his giving them information would be just as important, at least for now. He reported on the progress, and now he could see the group from the cliffs as well as the one from the direction of the village. He listened with frustration to the words coming from Jamie, about the group coming in from the sea. He couldn't see those yet, wouldn't be able to until they got right up to Haven's main house; the thought of those three being out there scared him through and through, but the voices coming through that radio, well, they were as steady as seasoned campaigners, he thought, and shook his head and gave a wry grin. No hysteria there, only solid, sensible reporting, information they could use. He wouldn't be surprised if young Randy hadn't cleared a blank spot on the ground and had his stick out, mapping out strategy!

He waited til he got his instructions from Peter, then he moved out, coming in from the rear. He started at a movement from the right, only to relax at a brief whistle. He whispered, "hey, guys," as Chief and Casino joined him, having come out through one of the two escape routes. They'd brought him an extra gun and ammunition, knowing he'd only carried the one with him, no one at Haven going out without that either; even the youngsters had their pencil sharpeners, and Jamie and Louisa had their own small revolvers as well, though he didn't know if they'd taken them with them this morning; well, if not, there was a cache at the Sun Stone. He didn't know about Randy, but rather doubted the small boy would be considered helpless by any standards, not with the parents he had. Together they made their way down toward Haven, being sure to stay out of sight of the reivers in front of them.

Randy crawled to the edge of the SunArch, looking down at the two small boats below.

"They've left one man to guard, looks like." He frowned, considering, looking back at Haven.

"Think we should try to come up behind?" Jamie asked, watching Louisa make her way carefully to the side of the arch, kneeling down to shove heavily at the base. He grinned at Randy, when Randy raised his brows in question, "this was the old pirate lookout, along with other things. They've always had a few surprises tucked away up here, just in case, you know, and we've followed the tradition."

He slithered on his belly to reach Randy's side and looked over, "you know, it'd be interesting to see what they'd do if those boats were gone; maybe they'd try to swim for it. The sharks would love that, fresh meat just coming to them nice and easy."

"You act like they're going to make a run for it," Randy said, to hear Louisa laugh just a low laugh, not a nice one at all. He rather liked that laugh; he turned to look at her; he rather liked that grin on her face too, he decided, that look in her eyes; he rather liked . . . . 

"Well, considering who and what they're going to run into, I'd bet on it, any that's able to run, that is. Think they ALL came in by boat?"

He answered her, "Not if they're smart; better to hit from at least two, better three directions at once. Some probably over the hills from one of the other villages."

"Probably have cars or trucks waiting, maybe horses," came from Jamie.

Randy looked intent, "any way to get down to that cove without being seen?" to see a shared grin passed between his best friend and his sister.

"You mean like a secret staircase no one but the family knows about?" Louisa asked with a sly smirk, "well, as a matter of fact . . ." and the three took up the revolvers she had retrieved from the cubbyhole and made their way to the Vigil Stone, in front of the stone bier. A firm push at one corner, and it slid aside, and Randy gave a huge grin, his gamin face so much like Goniff's, green eyes like Craig's shining bright.

"Well, what are we waiting for?"

The one waiting below, the peddler-scout, well, he'd been wanting to meet that dark haired boy with the blue-green eyes, maybe one of those redheaded girls. He was about to get the opportunity, however much joy he'd receive from the meeting.

Caeide had been assigned the communications board, much to her frustration, though with her full understanding. She'd distract them, them thinking they had to protect her, and frankly they probably would; she hadn't wanted to mention it, it wasn't the time, but she was pretty sure she'd just gone into labor.

She'd sent the simple three click message to Davie Rhys at the station, another to the young Reverend, hoping they'd be there to receive it. Nothing fancy, very basic - just the arranged warning that strangers were sighted, be on guard! They knew what to do, what precautions to take, what sensitive targets to set guard to.

She listened to the reports from Andrew, the ones from Jamie and the others, and felt her heart still and then rejoice at the final message from the three youngsters. {"Bless them, two boats destroyed, one of the reivers now feeding the sharks!"} She heard their reasoning about how the others got here, and it made sense, though she wasn't sure how that would help them right now. She was probably better off not to hear the whispered conversation between those three intrepid young warriors, the one that resulted in them making their way to the orchards and beyond, into the cliffs. 

Now she could hear the shouts, the gunshots, the sounds of fighting coming from beyond the horse barns, and the sound of something ramming against that sturdy front door. {"Well, they'll not get in that way,"} she thought grimly. That door was oak over steel, brace bars slotting into adjoining walls of the same construction, the windows covered with oak over steel shutters. She moved as quickly as she could, considering she was now bending over grasping her spasming belly, to the side window slot; nothing there.

The viewer showing the rear of the house showed two men creeping up to the back door, and she alerted Meghada to that. The click on the board told her when the sliding windows to each side of the front had opened, and she heard the gunfire as Peter and Craig opened up on those trying to come in from that angle, the position of the windows allowing them to take the group in a lovely crossfire. She smiled with grim satisfaction, thinking how she'd designed this house, this home just for such a contingency, to be easily defended, and how well it was working. She watched as Meghada took down the two at the rear, and as Ciena finished the two trying to light a fire at the base of the kitchen wall.

{"How many total? How many? How many down, how many left?"}

A buzz from the communications board let her know her message to Davie Rhys had been received, and he was alerting the locals. No word yet from the young Reverend, and she hoped he was alright.

Peter yelled up at her, "those are done for, we're 'eaded out to 'elp Andrew and the others!" She watched as they cautiously made their way out the back, Meghada joining them, Ciena holding back to guard the rear entrance. She made her way to the front overlook, seeing only bodies, no one moving, watching, just to be sure.

She groaned and looked down at the splash of liquid on the floor beneath her, "yes, right, of course they'd choose now; probably want to get in on the action!" she fumed aloud.

The board sounded again, letting her know the young Reverend was now in play, preparing those at the elderhouse and the orphanage, just in case. At least both of those were now within the village, in those two side-by-side manor houses, instead of being isolated out on the plains as they had been until so recently; that was one good thing coming out of that nasty little episode with those two visitors. ('Summer People'). Davie Rhys would have men headed in that direction as well, what with the reivers seeming to target children in particular. Now, the board was quiet, she moved back to the front, noting no change in any of the bodies, nothing to indicate any had survived.

"Well, I'm not going to check, that's for sure!" she groaned. Normally she would have; hell, normally, she'd have been in the thick of it all. Her thought went back to the question, {"How many total? How many down, how many left?"}. She tried to figure it out, realizing it was just a guess since no one knew how many reivers there were, though most gave an estimate of maybe fifteen or so, though some thought it might be as many as twenty. {"The youngsters took out one, there's six bodies at the front, Caeide put paid to two, Meghada another two - that's eleven."}. She frowned, {"has to be more than fifteen. No way the lads would be fussing around still if there weren't quite a few more than that!"}. 

Then the call from Andrew. That group, they were finished, another dozen or so. They'd do a full sortee around the house, around the property just to be sure, but they thought that should be, if not all of them, then near to it. She took a deep breath, sparing a thought to those on the outside, wondering if any had been hurt, if so, how badly. She should be getting things together to tend them, but found she couldn't get up from the chair she'd dropped into. She breathed deeply, and reached for the radio again, trying to raise Jamie and the others, getting only silence.

She radio'd back to Andrew, "Andrew, anyone hurt badly?" to sigh with relief at the cheerful, "Nope, just a few nicks and bruises, nothing big."

She opened the link again, "I can't raise the youngsters, any sight of them?"

Peter came on the radio, "can't see them, we'll take a look," only to have a young voice sounding just as cheerful as Andrew had sounded.

"Hey, guys. Is it okay to come back in? We've got their horses, and we took the distributor caps from their truck so if there's anyone else roaming around, they'll have to find another way out. Oh, and they left two guards here; they won't be bothering anyone anymore, but we can't figure out how to get them up on the horses! They're right big bastards!"

The adults looked at each other, at the radio, and muffled laughs, a snicker or two came through the line.

"Yeah, they're Clan, alright!" came from Goniff. 

Peter got their location, told them to wait for him, and with the help of Andrew saddled a couple of horses. "Let's go get them, Andrew luv!" and they headed out, still watching carefully to be sure there had been no outriders. Craig watched them ride out, wanting to go with them, knowing Goniff felt the same but knowing they weren't experienced enough riders to do more than slow them down. They were relieved when Ciena whistled up one of the horses from the side pasture, swung aboard bareback and followed after, obviously not having that same handicap.

Meghada watched, wishing it was her heading out for her son and his cousins, knowing she didn't dare, not with the babes inside her. {"Truly, nothing I could do she can't do or wouldn't do for them,"} she admitted to herself and turned back to others.

"Now, what do we do about the mess?" to be interruped by the radio once more.

A tense voice came through, "Meghada, I could use some help in here, if you've the time," and Meghada frowned and headed for the house at a fast clip.

"Craig, what do you think? I mean, they try to keep a low profile here, and I'm pretty sure this many bodies ain't gonna fit that description," came from Casino. Well, that was true enough. 

Soon Peter, Andrew and Ciena rode up, each with one of the youngsters behind them, trailing four horses, a body over each of two of the saddles. They dumped the bodies with the ones by the horse barn. After a brief round of hugs and shoulder slaps, they got back to business.

"How many people know about went down here? Who'd be likely to talk?"

The rather surprising answer was, probably no one knew much of anything. The warning they'd sent out was only that strangers had been spotted, nothing else.

Sending the youngsters to take care of the horses, then head up to the house to go retrieve the Reverend with the young ones, they moved out, rounding up the bodies, dragging them into two locations. {"Twenty two here and at the front of the house, another one down at the cove, though the sharks took care of that one, two with the truck. Twenty five! No wonder they've been able to do so much damage,"} Craig thought with disgust.

"Peter, can the sharks take care of this many?" to get a reluctant, "probably, but I don't want to go that way. Be like baiting them to gather 'ere, and I don't want to do that. Even without the risk of someone getting 'urt down the road, the authorities, the scientists and such, they take notice of sharks swarming a particular area, and we don't need the attention."

"Don't worry, guys, it's not a big problem," Meghada's voice came from behind them. "I've put out a call to the family; we'll have a plane or two in here shortly for cleanup; a few trips well out to sea, no one'll take much notice of a few bodies; if any wash up anywere, it'll be assumed there was a ship wreck or something. Doubt any will, though; the Gam Caimileir are pretty thorough. They do like their tea-time treats," getting a knowing chuckle from the guys, and a look of dawning knowledge from Craig Garrison, remembering that term quite well. ('Gentlemen and Ladies') 

"Peter, you and Andrew need to go on up to the house, though" and with a concerned look, they hurried off.

Goniff replied, "something wrong up at the 'ouse?" he asked with concern, mother hen that he was, no matter the number of men he'd put paid to here today, MacTire, wolf that he was.

"Not wrong as such. The Reverend and the young ones are being fetched by Jamie and the others; he'll stay with them all in the playroom. But, seems the newest members of the family got impatient and wanted to join in the action," she said ruefully.

The men looked at each other, puzzled, til Goniff's eyes got big, "Oh bloody 'ell, no, she's not . . ." to get a resounding, "oh, yes, she most certainly is! And I've the training, but I've never done this before, and I'd as soon my first time wasn't with twins, especially with them coming so early like this, so I put in a call to one of the brothers who HAS the experience; he'll be here as soon as he can; London's not that far away by small plane. Have to tell you, when I wanted to get a closer idea of what it'd be like with twins, this wasn't what I intended either!"

The slender Englishman nodded in fervent agreement. {"'ave to talk to Craig, we need to be sure someone's there a good long time before."}. He looked up toward the house, down at his long capable nimble fingers and gulped, {"maybe from now til it's over, even!"}.

Craig was watching him, caught his eye and gave him a nod of understanding, {"maybe someone could come stay for the duration; we'll see about that when we get back!"} If Meghada could have read their minds, she'd have groaned; it was going to be a long few months. 

Seems they really WERE trying to join in the activity; Colin and Scotty were being shown off by supper time. Colin, brown hair, brown eyes, slightly narrow face; Scotty, darker brown hair with just a touch of curl, blue-green eyes. The family looked at them, eyebrows raised, then at Andrew, then over at Peter.

"Well, don't look at us like that; you'd think we've not been face to face with Randy many a time," Peter scolded them, though with a grin and a bit of a flush to his face. "And that's even 'arder to explain," then realizing what he said, and the flush deepened, "not that I've a fancy for explaining this either, mind you," and their laughter filled the room.

And Caeide, tired but joyous, repeated what Meghada had said on that occasion, "don't ask me, I'm just their mother!" with a grin equal to the ones on the faces of the new proud papas.

The youngsters were called in from their activities, introduced to their new brothers, exclaimed over them, touched their soft heads, and went away, planing all the things they'd show them, tell them, and Jamie and Louisa would make sure that one of those things was the time the reivers came to call, and Colin and Scotty decided to come early to help take care of them!

And Randy, well, he had something to think on, and that look on Louisa's face, the look in her eye out there at the SunStone, her laugh, it all figured pretty heavily into it. He was just glad they were Clan; that made it all a lot easier, it did. 

The reivers? Well, no one ever knew why they stopped their raiding; just, they did. The raid outside of Baia was the last attributed to this group. Other groups did try to get together, but now people were watching, and any such attempts were stopped in their tracks and dealt with harshly. Davie Rhys, well, he had a thought or two, but none he ever mentioned, except for lifting a glass in honor of Haven on the anniversary of that warning call. {"Aye, Haven has its own ways, and we all benefit from them, we surely do!"}


End file.
